Page 5 of Dark Verse

CHAPTER TWO

KNOX

TEN MINUTES later, the space has begun to fill with dozens of people, all dressed for the occasion. I’ve never actually played as part of a wedding band before, and I find myself looking at the crowd more closely than your average bar attendee.

There must be over 200 people in front of me already, with more still coming. I see groups of people, but the one that stands out the most is the 20 or so men moving like a wave through the space. Or rather, the human bodies seem to part like a wave for them. At a glance, they are all over six feet tall and broad in the shoulders. Well-dressed and boisterous.

Too far away to really hear anything, my elevated position still allows me to watch as another figure, shorter than the 20 men, steps into their midst and starts pointing. They begin to disperse towards the corners and sides of the dance floor.

I lean away from the microphone as a thought hits me.

“First dance song?” I ask, looking at Zeke and Via.

“Got it covered, cuz,” Zeke responds. “It’s called Love at First Sight.”

I nod, my mild panic ebbing as I turn back to the crowd.

Now that the large group has broken up, I can clearly see the woman who seems to be the one in charge. She’s got a no-nonsense look about her, glasses pushed up to the bridge of her nose. As I look at her, I quickly realize that the only thing average about her is her height. The woman has curves for days, and she’s dressed like she is well aware of that fact; her black dress hugs her round ass and hips, cutting off at the midpoint of her thick thighs. The gold of her necklace and earrings catches the light. Her hair is pulled up into an elegant updo, the braids ombre-purple.

Damn, she’s sexy.

The people continue to shift around but are beginning to leave a space in the center of the dance floor. At the same time, she looks up at the stage towards us and meets my gaze. Her expression is expectant, but all I can do is stare back at her, completely unmoored. All at once, I feel like I’m waiting for something, yet I’m unsure what that is. She moves towards the stage purposefully, eyes locked on mine.

“D major,” Zeke says, coming up next to me, and I realize I am still staring at her like a jackass.

“We’re ready for the first dance,” she says. Her voice easily cuts through all the ambient noise, strong and velvety, textured like a string instrument.

“I’ll count off,” Zeke says. “Knox, you harmonize?”

I shake my head, trying to clear the explosion of thoughts in my mind, most of them filthy ideas about what I’d like to do to this complete stranger. Her eyes are light brown, nearly golden. Up close, I see that her skin is a rich shade of sepia, and I suddenly need to know if it is as soft and smooth as I think.

“Knox,” Zeke says loudly, and I realize he must have been saying my name for a while. I force my gaze away from her back to him. His expression is one part annoyed, two parts concerned.

“Sorry?”

“Do you know the melody?”

“No, sorry. I’ll harmonize.” I respond quickly, placing my fingers along the fretboard of my guitar, “B major.”

“D major,” she and Zeke say.

I nod, and then, like a dumbass, promptly play a B major chord.

Christ above. I’m out here looking like a complete amateur.

My brain feels more frazzled than normal, and nerves begin to take over my fingers for a moment. But taking a steadying breath, I step back and switch positions with Zeke so he stands in the center of the trio. Being out of the center of attention gives me a chance to get the nerves under control.

Stepping right up to the mic, Zeke smiles widely.

“Hello and welcome, all you smiling faces. It gives us great pleasure to be able to introduce to all of you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Cage!”

He doesn’t count aloud, but his body shows me the rhythm to follow.

As we begin to play, the bride and groom arrive on the dance floor. Even without Via telling me, I can tell that these two women are sisters. They have the same skin tone and similar facial features. Although the bride is far smaller in stature, they both have the same posture. Open. Straight-backed. Partway through the dance, the 20 men around the perimeter begin lighting smokeless sparklers. It’s a beautiful production, the last few sparklers lighting as the song swells through the final verse. I imagine the photos and videos they get from this will be stunning.

All the attendees clap wildly as the happy newlyweds finish with the final classic dip.

“Nicely done,” I nod approvingly to Zeke.